Sad- the community here is not like Sparkpeople
SoulOfFire1514
Posts: 29 Member
I keep trying to like this site. I really do.
I use it, because I need to track everything, but it certainly lacks so much support, unlike spark.
The challenges are very lacking, I can't seem to meet people who have like-minded ideas or goals, and it is very plain.
I miss the abundance of information that SparkPeople offered, and there was always something to keep you motivated, like sparkpoints and fun and games. I also miss the recipes.
Can anyone offer me any different info? Am I missing something about this site?
Help me to love this place. I'm here because I need to be, since I've lost what I had for the past 13 years. 😔
I use it, because I need to track everything, but it certainly lacks so much support, unlike spark.
The challenges are very lacking, I can't seem to meet people who have like-minded ideas or goals, and it is very plain.
I miss the abundance of information that SparkPeople offered, and there was always something to keep you motivated, like sparkpoints and fun and games. I also miss the recipes.
Can anyone offer me any different info? Am I missing something about this site?
Help me to love this place. I'm here because I need to be, since I've lost what I had for the past 13 years. 😔
5
Replies
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I never used SparkPeople so I cannot make a comparison, but I've found the more open I am the more I've been able to find supportive, like-minded people. It doesn't happen over night and you have to do some digging but its here. Check out groups and the chats and don't be scared to comment and talk to people. We all need support you can do it!6
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Well, SparkPeople is closing. So I guess you'll need to dig in and find some people! I'll be your friend if you like?6
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I'm new to the community section of MFP too. And I'll agree there have been some challenging discussions that I have waded into and not found them to be the most supportive or openminded.
But I suppose a community is what we make of it. And I think there is support and positivity here too.
I am going to continue reading the forum and posting from time to time to keep my engagement up, even if it's just to get me logging into the website. As Gold says, I think I'll get out more if I put in more. As the challenges are a community endeavour I suppose you can make your own if the others don't suit?
I saw on another thread you used to have a studio and I was interested: what kind of things did you do there and do you still do them now?
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Aside from the message boards, you might find the groups interesting to find like-minded people:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/groups
There are a few groups for SparkPeople members specifically:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/140824-from-sparkpeople-to-myfitnesspal-the-journey-continues
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/140805-spark-people-friends5 -
Hi and welcome. You are right, SparkPeople was very different than MFP. I joined SparkPeople years ago but didn't find it worked as well for me. I loved the recipes on SparkPeople, but I find lots of recipes on sites like Skinnytaste and Slender Kitchen. I enjoy the boards here though I don't participate a lot. I hope that you are able to find a way to make MFP work for you- it just goes to show we all need different things. Good luck!
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I have been on a few sites like Spark, Nutrisystem, etc. and have found a lot information based on anecdotes rather than peer reviewed science so here a lot of information will be challenged if it does sounds inaccurate or suspicious. Some find that challenging it is "not open minded" nor "supportive".
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This site is what you make it. The more people you get to know, the more supportive it becomes. I’m not sure what you mean by lack of information, as I find this site offers everything I need in that department.
Don’t take this the wrong way but I think your attitude about losing your old site and having to come to this one has gotten in the way of you seeing the positives of this site.
How long have you been on MFP for? Have you given it a fair chance? There’s no point comparing it to Spark People - they were 2 totally different sites.
Hopefully you’ll give it enough of a chance to make it work for you. If not, there may be other support groups you can check out.
Good luck 😊5 -
I never used SparkPeople so I cannot make a comparison, but I've found the more open I am the more I've been able to find supportive, like-minded people. It doesn't happen over night and you have to do some digging but its here. Check out groups and the chats and don't be scared to comment and talk to people. We all need support you can do it!
I've been on the chats and searching for groups that may be of interest, but when most aren't active for years, it is hard.
I'm very open to learning new things.
And I'm here because I haven't been able to find anything else that is like Spark. It was an amazing site and I really wish they weren't shutting down.
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autobahn66 wrote: »I'm new to the community section of MFP too. And I'll agree there have been some challenging discussions that I have waded into and not found them to be the most supportive or openminded.
But I suppose a community is what we make of it. And I think there is support and positivity here too.
I am going to continue reading the forum and posting from time to time to keep my engagement up, even if it's just to get me logging into the website. As Gold says, I think I'll get out more if I put in more. As the challenges are a community endeavour I suppose you can make your own if the others don't suit?
I saw on another thread you used to have a studio and I was interested: what kind of things did you do there and do you still do them now?
I've been trying to find a community to join here but nothing so far that I fit into.
I did own my own studio for years, before moving across the country.
I'm a tattoo artist, but I do a lot of things, painting, drawing, photography, sculpting, airbrushing, mixed media, etc. Anything to keep me creative!
It is my profession, so yes, I still do all those things.
Although I've been more focused on my health and weight loss journey as of late, so less time on my artwork, outside of tattooing.1 -
Aside from the message boards, you might find the groups interesting to find like-minded people:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/groups
There are a few groups for SparkPeople members specifically:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/140824-from-sparkpeople-to-myfitnesspal-the-journey-continues
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/140805-spark-people-friends
I've been searching, but so far, have not found my niche, I guess.
Thanks for the help, though!0 -
1poundatax wrote: »Hi and welcome. You are right, SparkPeople was very different than MFP. I joined SparkPeople years ago but didn't find it worked as well for me. I loved the recipes on SparkPeople, but I find lots of recipes on sites like Skinnytaste and Slender Kitchen. I enjoy the boards here though I don't participate a lot. I hope that you are able to find a way to make MFP work for you- it just goes to show we all need different things. Good luck!
It definitely is different. I found it much more motivating and inspiring, to be honest.
MFP lacks a lot in that area.
I was on it for 13+ years. I loved it. It helped me lose the weight after I had my son, and Ii kept it off, until a series of severe health issues that required many surgeries happened, and the weight was put back on.
I lost 40lbs again, and then a nasty divorce hit. I gained some of it back, but am losing it, and almost back to the weight I was before the divorce- only a couple lbs away.
Still 45 to go.
I'm making it work for me, as best I can. I'm just saddened with the loss of what kept me motivated.
And I wish the community side of things was easier to use- no notifications for replies, and no way for me to search on the topics/forums that I've posted in, to see any responses.
I can find my own created topics, but I can't seem to find the ones I've tried to participate in.
It lacks a lot and I wish it didn't.
I want to like MFP. I really do.
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SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »1poundatax wrote: »Hi and welcome. You are right, SparkPeople was very different than MFP. I joined SparkPeople years ago but didn't find it worked as well for me. I loved the recipes on SparkPeople, but I find lots of recipes on sites like Skinnytaste and Slender Kitchen. I enjoy the boards here though I don't participate a lot. I hope that you are able to find a way to make MFP work for you- it just goes to show we all need different things. Good luck!
It definitely is different. I found it much more motivating and inspiring, to be honest.
MFP lacks a lot in that area.
I was on it for 13+ years. I loved it. It helped me lose the weight after I had my son, and Ii kept it off, until a series of severe health issues that required many surgeries happened, and the weight was put back on.
I lost 40lbs again, and then a nasty divorce hit. I gained some of it back, but am losing it, and almost back to the weight I was before the divorce- only a couple lbs away.
Still 45 to go.
I'm making it work for me, as best I can. I'm just saddened with the loss of what kept me motivated.
And I wish the community side of things was easier to use- no notifications for replies, and no way for me to search on the topics/forums that I've posted in, to see any responses.
I can find my own created topics, but I can't seem to find the ones I've tried to participate in.
It lacks a lot and I wish it didn't.
I want to like MFP. I really do.
You can change your notification settings to be notified when people answer your discussions or reply in topics that you have replied to.
Tap the bell icon at the top and then 'notification preferences'.2 -
forestfreek wrote: »This site is what you make it. The more people you get to know, the more supportive it becomes. I’m not sure what you mean by lack of information, as I find this site offers everything I need in that department.
Don’t take this the wrong way but I think your attitude about losing your old site and having to come to this one has gotten in the way of you seeing the positives of this site.
How long have you been on MFP for? Have you given it a fair chance? There’s no point comparing it to Spark People - they were 2 totally different sites.
Hopefully you’ll give it enough of a chance to make it work for you. If not, there may be other support groups you can check out.
Good luck 😊
No attitude about losing my old site.
This wasn't a hissy fit or anything.
Just a general statement about what I miss that this site lacks.
If you were on Spark, you'd have seen the articles and information posted. I haven't been finding the same sort of thing here, is all.
I joined MFP years ago. Didn't like it then. I'm back now, because I have to be.
I've been back for two months now. I think I've given it a chance.
And I've yet to find it motivating.
I use it every day, though. I need to track, and nothing is going to make me give up on my goals.
I wish they would bring in some of the motivating factors to this site that Spark had.
I've emailed multiple times, with suggestions, and never have heard anything back.
Spark was different. I always got a response.
I'm always up for change, but this time, it's not a change that is better for me, if you know what I mean?5 -
Awww, I’m sorry. I wasn’t at all meaning that you were throwing a “hissy fit”. My wording is a bit off🤗
I totally get where you’re coming from. I was a LiveStrong fan for years and then they dramatically changed the format. I left because it was a totally different site at that point. I loved it and it was very disappointing to leave.
HUGS.
Jen2 -
SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »And I wish the community side of things was easier to use- no notifications for replies, and no way for me to search on the topics/forums that I've posted in, to see any responses.
I can find my own created topics, but I can't seem to find the ones I've tried to participate in.
If you click on the star to the right of the thread name in the threads list, it turns yellow and is put on your favorites ("bookmarked") list.
You should then get notifications when something is added to the thread - click/hover on the star in the upper right corner of this page, or I believe you can set your preferences to notify you by email, too. (I get enough emails! So I don't use that function
)
So that's at least 1 thing to make visiting MFP more productive. Hope it helps. 2 -
@SoulOfFire1514 do you see a little bell on the web version? Did you click on it? When you've been tagged it shows a notification. It also exists on the android app.
Next to the bell, do you see a star? You can click on it to highlight a discussion for you to watch or follow.
When you check out a discussion group it is usually easy to tell which ones have been abandoned based on the last post dates... I don't know that I would bother with them.
A lot of this sounds as if you're trying to find your way around a chaotic new site.
Please note that MFP has these forums, of course; but you can also have a selection of MFP friends with whom you can share information based on the settings you configure.
The forums, such as the one we're posting on here, are PUBLICLY INDEXED BY SEARCH ENGINES.
The discussions with friends in your newsfeed, I believe there you would be able to have the expectation that the information would be only be accessible by MFP and by your circle of friends instead of being indexed for use in "perpetuity" by the totality of the internet.
Each one of the main forums has a collection of "sticky" threads and posts. The information there is astounding, if it is information you seek.
A motivation and support forum exists. A success forum exists. And friends and your "wall" may be closer to the social media experience you may be seeking. While I personally avoid the fun and games and chit chat sections; both seem to appeal to people based on the number of posts.
Best of luck--0 -
SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »I never used SparkPeople so I cannot make a comparison, but I've found the more open I am the more I've been able to find supportive, like-minded people. It doesn't happen over night and you have to do some digging but its here. Check out groups and the chats and don't be scared to comment and talk to people. We all need support you can do it!
I've been on the chats and searching for groups that may be of interest, but when most aren't active for years, it is hard.
I'm very open to learning new things.
And I'm here because I haven't been able to find anything else that is like Spark. It was an amazing site and I really wish they weren't shutting down.
When I first joined MFP I joined the Biggest Loser challenge. You're added to a team and each team has a chat, I found it motivated me and added some accountability with weekly weigh ins and I got to meet a few people. I also looked for people who were already what I consider to be "in the shape I want to be in" because it is motivating to me as well. Love when you said "I need to track, and nothing is going to make me give up on my goals." Hell yeah, that's the mindset that will keep you moving forward.1 -
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Xx Lisa 😀4 -
MFP takes a little while to get used to.
But the Biggest Loser group is active, as are the SparkPeople groups linked earlier.
I really miss SparkPeople. But we’re here now. Making the best of it.
Seriously, check out those groups. They’re active and very supportive.
And there are threads in the main forums that share recipes, and other good things.
Stick around. We former SparkPeople people are here, and we definitely support each other.
Send me a friend request if you wish. And hang in there. ❤️2 -
SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »I did own my own studio for years, before moving across the country.
I'm a tattoo artist, but I do a lot of things, painting, drawing, photography, sculpting, airbrushing, mixed media, etc. Anything to keep me creative!
It is my profession, so yes, I still do all those things.
Although I've been more focused on my health and weight loss journey as of late, so less time on my artwork, outside of tattooing.
That's fantastic!
I've found that too: that there is much less time for creative endeavours now I'm focusing on health and weight loss. With a busy job and 2 kids, time was so short anyway! I do wonder about the effects of this as I get a lot of benefit from drawing and painting. I find that while I'm painting I feel so in the moment that I don't worry about anything other than that.
But now there's a half finished oil painting in my shed-studio untouched for a week, as I've been exercising in the time I would be painting. I guess like anything else, I'll just have to prioritise and commit to slower, but steady, progress.0 -
One thing that's great about SP being deleted is that it turned into another obnoxious social media site. Just think of all those hours you wasted on SP clicking for points when you should have been out exercising and living your life. Getting off SP and off the computer/phone is probably the best thing you can do for your health. The motivation also never came from SP, it came from you. There are so many more articles here that are new unlike SP posting nothing but outdated garbage from a decade ago. Here the "Blog" are the articles you are looking for and they were written in 2021 not 2009 like Spark. All that stuff on the SparkPeople home page was outdated, repetitive spam. The tracking here is far superior too, obvious that Spark copied it from here as they did most of their program. Even the premium features that we paid for on Spark People was all outdated too. Send me a friend request. What we were stuck using on Spark was well over 10 years old. The challenges never changed, or updated, and there were never any new ones, the teams are pretty much all dead and haven't been posted to in years and the articles are outdated.
Everything you're looking for here is somewhere here, keep clicking! You got this.5 -
Click the "bell" near the upper right and you can personalize your notifications.SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »1poundatax wrote: »Hi and welcome. You are right, SparkPeople was very different than MFP. I joined SparkPeople years ago but didn't find it worked as well for me. I loved the recipes on SparkPeople, but I find lots of recipes on sites like Skinnytaste and Slender Kitchen. I enjoy the boards here though I don't participate a lot. I hope that you are able to find a way to make MFP work for you- it just goes to show we all need different things. Good luck!
It definitely is different. I found it much more motivating and inspiring, to be honest.
MFP lacks a lot in that area.
I was on it for 13+ years. I loved it. It helped me lose the weight after I had my son, and Ii kept it off, until a series of severe health issues that required many surgeries happened, and the weight was put back on.
I lost 40lbs again, and then a nasty divorce hit. I gained some of it back, but am losing it, and almost back to the weight I was before the divorce- only a couple lbs away.
Still 45 to go.
I'm making it work for me, as best I can. I'm just saddened with the loss of what kept me motivated.
And I wish the community side of things was easier to use- no notifications for replies, and no way for me to search on the topics/forums that I've posted in, to see any responses.
I can find my own created topics, but I can't seem to find the ones I've tried to participate in.
It lacks a lot and I wish it didn't.
I want to like MFP. I really do.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Also, if former Spark people want a community they were used to, then START IT UP yourself. Create the ambience instead of looking for it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
1 -
Also, if former Spark people want a community they were used to, then START IT UP yourself. Create the ambience instead of looking for it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
🤔
But I like going to burger king and order big Mac!3 -
I find Spark People Friends to be a great and active group. It is so active I can't keep up with it. I have other groups transferred from Spark People that I have to track. I like MFP's tracker and have told it I want to lose a pound a week and for the most part I have done that since joining MFP. I will greatly miss Spark but most of my active teams are or have found new places.2
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SoulOfFire1514 wrote: »I keep trying to like this site. I really do.
I use it, because I need to track everything, but it certainly lacks so much support, unlike spark.
The challenges are very lacking, I can't seem to meet people who have like-minded ideas or goals, and it is very plain.
I miss the abundance of information that SparkPeople offered, and there was always something to keep you motivated, like sparkpoints and fun and games. I also miss the recipes.
Can anyone offer me any different info? Am I missing something about this site?
Help me to love this place. I'm here because I need to be, since I've lost what I had for the past 13 years. 😔
It's kind of funny. I tried Sparkpeople many years ago and it just didn't stick with me. It also took me awhile to find my rhythm and place here. But I stuck it out long enough to come to enjoy it. So maybe if you just join in more and look around you'll find the parts of it that you like as well? I know there are recipe sections and different groups you might check out. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please don't be afraid to start your own groups, etc. Good luck and hope you feel better about it soon.
Ok, I just read where you've been trying to like it for 2 months now. Hmmm, have you tried chit chat or games? They're both a lot of fun and might gain you more friends? They don't dwell on the fitness part much so if that's all that you're looking for, that will probably disappoint you. MFP has tons of experienced smart people who you can ask most anything; I've learned a lot here.
Good luck! (again) 3 -
@SoulOfFire15 Some MFP challenge groups exist that have activities to keep you focused on your goals. I have really been helped by the Hogwarts Challenge. It contains a game sort of atmosphere, and you have challenges for food, exercise, and some quiz type things over Harry Potter trivia. These change weekly. You get sorted into a house, and the people in your house become a closer support network. We are finishing the summer term this week, and then we have a 3 week break, before the 9-week term starts.0
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Also, if former Spark people want a community they were used to, then START IT UP yourself. Create the ambience instead of looking for it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Ummm…. We have. And posted links in this conversation.
Thanks though.2 -
I feel your pain. I was a member of Sparkpeople for 12 years. I had periods where I was very active, and other times it was months between tracking and checking in for me. I was very sad to see that they are closing the site. My very favorite part was using Sparkrecipes to create my own recipes, using the nutrition calculator to tweak the recipe, and then being able to add that recipe to my tracker so easily. I had dozens of custom recipes there. Anyway, now I think I will make my recipes on ALLrecipes.com and then see if I can import it to my tracker and save it as a favorite maybe?1
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